What Really Matters
by alightintheshadows
Summary: Hitoshi works relentlessly to get into the hero course, but sometimes training isn't everything. Parental!Aizawa


**Hello! I was working on my seemingly infinite amount of other fics and outlines when I stumbled across this in my folder that I, somehow, never posted? Anyways, if you were craving some Dadzawa and Shinson fluff, here you have it! I hope you enjoy it!**

**I do not own My Hero Academia.**

Shouta hefted his duffel bag back over his shoulder as the strap started to slide, his other hand rubbing his tired eyes. He came to a halt when he opened the door to an empty gymnasium. He pulled out his phone.

Four o'clock exactly and no messages.

He scanned the area. Hitoshi had never been late once since they started their training. Shouta always arrived exactly at four, always finding his trainee stretching and warming up on the large mat that covered most of the gym.

He set down his bag and dialed Hitoshi's number. A ringing phone pierced through the silence of the gym. Turning around until he found where the noise was coming from, he spotted his student curled up in the corner, a flash coming out of his duffel bag. He hung up the phone and approached the purple-haired teen. His eyebrows furrowed as he got closer to his student.

Hitoshi was leaning back against the wall, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. The bags under the teen's eyes were more prominent. It didn't seem like he slept well at all over the weekend. Shouta stopped, Hitoshi finally stirring as if he could feel his teacher looming over him. One eye cracked open, then both flew open once his student realized who was in front of him. He gasped and completely sat up.

"Sensei, I'm so sorry!" he apologized before Shouta had a chance to say anything to him. "I know I should have been warming up already."

The erasure hero tilted his head as he watched his student rubbing his eyes furiously.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Hitoshi's hands dropped into his lap and he blinked, staring blankly at the door. He didn't acknowledge his mentor's question.

"Shinsou?"

Startled, the kid looked up at Shouta. He blinked again.

"Yes?"

"Are you feeling well enough to train?"

Shouta was careful to keep his signature monotone voice, but that took more effort than he was willing to admit. His student had always been so eager to train, never complaining and never refusing to do anything asked of him. Hitoshi seemed to have an understanding of what it takes to become a hero, and he understood exactly how hard he would have to work at it compared to the other students in the heroics course.

Hitoshi never wasted a second of time that could be spent training.

"I'm fine."

The yawn that followed said otherwise. Shouta turned around, walked back over to his duffel bag, and took out one of his gel packs. When he glanced back at his student, he saw Hitoshi slumped back against the wall, eyes closed yet again.

He sighed and approached the sleeping teen. He knelt down and shook his shoulder.

"Shinsou—"

"'m sorry, Sensei," Hitoshi slurred, curling up even more into the corner and his eyes never opening. "Pl…please…I just…give me f-five…minutes…I'm so…sorry."

Within seconds, the boy's breathing evened out. Putting the gel pack in his pocket, Shouta managed to pull Hitoshi away from the wall.

"Don't worry about it, kid," he whispered.

The teen didn't stir at all when he put his arms under his back and legs to lift him up. Hitoshi's head lolled against his chest as he carried him out of the gym.

It didn't take long for the hero to walk back to the teacher's lounge; however, opening the door with his elbow without disturbing the kid in his arms was another challenge. After a couple of tries, he pushed the door open with his back and the two entered. Hizashi and Nemuri glanced up at the newcomers, eyes widening at the sight.

His eyes glowed and hair floated up when he saw them both smile from ear-to-ear and Hizashi opened his mouth. His quirk may have erased Hizashi's, but that didn't stop the hushed squeal coming from Nemuri.

"Shut it," he nearly growled as he carried his student toward one of the couches. He nodded toward his sleeping bag by his desk. "Would one of you mind…."

Hizashi wasted no time grabbing and unzipping the yellow monstrosity. Carefully, he laid the teen inside it. Two of the three pro heroes quietly laughed when Hitoshi gripped Shouta's shirt, refusing to let him go and curling slightly closer to him. He tried to pull away, but the grip only tightened. He glared at Nemuri when he heard the shuttering of a phone camera coming from her direction.

He really needed to get new friends.

"Is he all right?" Hizashi whispered, something Shouta had forgotten the man was capable of.

Gently prying the fingers off of his shirt, he zipped up the bag.

Hitoshi's breathing was still even, his eyes were still closed, and his face was still relaxed.

"I think he just needs some rest," he replied.

Hizashi snorted, slightly louder than intended.

"Sounds like someone else I know."

Ignoring the comment, Shouta walked over to the binders he'd dropped off before heading to the gym. Taking out a stack of essays, he sat down at his desk and started to grade.

"Wake him up and you're dead," he warned the other two…well…mostly Hizashi.

Neither hero said another word, but the smiles they gave him when he arrived never disappeared.

He _really _needed new friends.

***break***

Hitoshi burrowed further into whatever was wrapped around him, immediately wanting to drift back off to sleep. He'd never felt so warm and comfortable. The subtle scent of coffee surrounded him, along with something else he couldn't quite place. He clutched the material tighter and pulled it closer to his chest.

He'd never slept so well in his life….

…but then his brow furrowed.

_When did I fall asleep? Last I remember, I was waiting in the gym…._

His eyes opened and he tried to sit up, but found himself getting tangled in a soft, warm fabric.

"Shinsou."

He looked around, realizing he wasn't in the gym. His gaze finally landed on the erasure hero in a chair across from him. The man must have moved it from his desk. He took a deep breath.

"Sensei, I'm—"

Shouta put a hand up and his mouth snapped shut. He hung his head, but blinked when he got a better look at what was wrapped around him.

_This…this is sensei's sleeping bag…._

"Did you sleep well?"

The question made Hitoshi look back up at his mentor. Once he managed to get the sleeping bag unzipped and crawled out of it, he nodded.

"I did. That's the best sleep I've gotten in…well…a long time."

Shouta grunted, acknowledging the answer. He watched as the man gathered up the papers in his lap and put them in a binder. His mentor walked over to a small refrigerator, causing Hitoshi to look around the room again.

_I must be in the teacher's lounge._

Shouta came back to him with a bottle of water in hand.

"Drink that. You're already tired enough. Being dehydrated won't do you any favors."

He nodded and took the water.

"Thank you. Sensei, I'm really sor—"

"It's not logical to apologize," Shouta interrupted, his voice not quite as gruff as it usually was. "You obviously needed the rest."

Hitoshi swallowed and looked back down at his lap.

"But I wasted an entire afternoon of training. I…I wasted your time…."

At first, there was no response. Then he felt the couch dip when his mentor sat down next to him.

"No you didn't. You got the rest you needed. That's what really matters to me. It's my job to train you, but it's also my job to make sure you're healthy and taking proper care of yourself. I need you to promise me that you'll tell me if you aren't sleeping or feeling well so I can help, all right?"

Hitoshi risked a glance at his mentor, the usual apathy surprisingly absent. He wasn't even sure if Shouta was aware of it, but he could see the concern seeping into the man's gaze.

He couldn't stop the slight grin from forming on his face.

_I really think you should be taking your own advice, Sensei, but if it makes you feel better…_

"All right. I promise."

"Good." Shouta stood up and gathered the rest of his things before handing his student his duffel bag. "Let's go. I'll walk you home. We can stop by the café and get you some food on the way."

Hitoshi nodded, his grin widening as he followed his favorite hero out the door.

**I hope you all enjoyed this short but sweet fic! The next chapter of Someone You Trust is almost finished…hopefully. Anyways, I'll be seeing you all again soon!**

**Until then,**

**alightintheshadows**


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